"A Committee of Correspondence"

28 January 2017

Why Iran, but not Saudi Arabia? - TTG

With the signing of the executive order designed “to protect United States citizens from foreign nationals who intend to commit terrorist acts in the United States,” Trump barred entry into the U.S. of aliens from a list of seven countries for the next ninety days. Notable in this list was the inclusion of Iran and the exclusion of Saudi Arabia. None of the countries are specifically named in the executive order. They are “countries referred to in section 217(a)(12) of the INA, 8 U.S.C. 1187(a)(12).” So rather than naming those countries that he and his national security team think may pose a danger to U.S. citizens, he relies on a list compiled by a Borg infested DOS and DHS of an administration now out of office. So is this a case of SSDD?

This executive order invoked the specter of 9/11, yet Saudi Arabia gets a free pass once again. The country most responsible for supporting and sustaining both the Islamic State and Al Qaeda skates free. The Borg found it convenient to cozy up to the Saudis to further its goals, but why does Trump continue that coziness? He railed against the Clinton Foundation’s Saudi connections. I thought things might change. However, in August of last year, he told Fox News this.

“Saudi Arabia — and I get along great with all of them. They buy apartments from me,” Trump said in Mobile, Alabama. “They spend $40 million, $50 million. Am I supposed to dislike them? I like them very much.”

During his presidential bid, his organization established eight companies tied to hotel interests in Saudi Arabia. Seems the coziness with the fountainhead of radical Islamic terrorism will continue, despite all the bombastic rhetoric, executive decrees and drastic actions taken to supposedly protect U.S. citizens from radical Islamic terrorists. Just more security theater and fodder for the meme machines. Well, it's still early.

Maybe Iran should negotiate with the Trump organization to build a Trump Towers in Teheran and a golf resort in Shiraz. Just think of the marvelous carpets that could decorate the club house. Then, perhaps, they’ll get the same consideration as the Saudis from the current Administration.

ADDENDUM:

Within 24 hours of this executive order, at least two Iraqis who worked with American Forces during our war in Iraq have been denied entry into the United States. One was an interpreter with the 101st for ten years. He and his family have been threatened with death for his loyal service. This situation offends me personally as a retired Army officer. It is an affront to the honor of this country and our Armed Forces. I call on Secretary of Defense Mattis to intervene to right this wrong without haste. I am not naive enough to think this has never happened under Bush and Obama, but they’re not President anymore. I have two words to the Commander in Chief of our Armed Forces if he doesn’t fix this. Disgusting. Sad.

A FURTHER ADDENDUM:

The former translator was released after 17 hours in Federal custody when U.S. Representatives Jerry Nadler and Nydia Valazquez and immigration lawyers went to the Queens airport to intervene on the detained man’s behalf. DOL

Comments

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Tyler,

You find me pedantic? Fine. But mendacious? You infer I'm a liar. You crossed a line. Unless overruled by Colonel Lang, I'm banning you from commenting on any of my posts. You no longer have to be burdened by reading and responding to any of my future criticisms of Trump or his policies.

Trump has more than once mentioned NoKo as the real threat. They make for a pretty good enemy. Crazy. Nuclear armed. Very foreign/other-ish. No business ties to get messed up. And the bonus that they really are a serious threat that will have to be addressed one of these days. If NoKo + Iran + Jihadis is not completely satisfying, then just maybe China could be tossed into the mix. That should do it.

Sorry if I brought any of this on by egging Tyler on. He went way too far with his comments towards you.

But his attacks on me are always good for a laugh. Reminds of the good old days of the dirty dozens. By that I mean the back & forth trading of "Yo-mama-wears-combat-boots" insults, and not the horrendous hollywood flic with Telly Savalas that twisted and denigrated the honor of Soldiers. It has been 56 years since I was a pfc, and I was never very good at the dirty dozens game, but I always appreciated the zingers.

My experience over the decades in dealing with men and women who have been raised on these values (values, by the way, that are expressed in the Uniform Code of Military Justice) is that the values endure and the people believing in them are effective and valuable people who apply those values throughout their lives.

Certainly, the military leaders will follow the letter of the law. All military personnel are on oath to protect and defend the Constitution and to follow the lawful orders of the President and their officers according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

I choose to be "naïve" because I believe that these influences do influence the actions of honorable men and women and that the training gained at a very early age in scouting and later during West Point do temper and affect those who experience it for their whole life. If they do not inculcate valuable moral character, then there is no purpose in having groups like the Boy Scouts and the military academies.

Anyone inculcated with these ideas seemingly must have a problem with leadership that creates a cloud of lies and confusion as a style for governing. Hope men of honor will help to keep our nation on its track.

Without naïve people who believe in honor, our nation has no hope.

I will remain naïve and hope my naiveté and belief in good American values will spread the opposition to the nihilists who now seem to be gaining influence within our Polity.

Babak,
Don't let anyone get under your skin and make you say things in anger that you most probably don't even mean. Remember, Americans do the right thing once they have tried everything else. This is a great country and not about to destroy itself just because a tiny sliver of people shouts civil war every time they can't get it their way.

"Iraq’s parliament has called on the government to “retaliate” against US President Donald Trump’s ban on Iraqis, and the citizens of six other Muslim majority countries, from entering the US."

But this looks like the kicker...

"The parliamentary vote passes the decision on whether to implement a ban to Iraq’s president, Fouad Massoum, who can either veto the request or send it on to Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi to make into law. Analysts say this is something Mr Abadi dreads having to do...Two lawmakers said they doubted the ban would be implemented,..."

Where were you when Obama & Hillary were destabilizing Libya & Syria and creating the chaos & anarchy there by funding & arming Al Qaeda with the resultant refugees & complete destruction of their societies? And what did you do when the Obama administration was blatantly lying about mass surveillance and when DNI Clapper lied under oath? Where was your conscience when Amb. Stevens was murdered while Hillary and Susan were on TV claiming it was because of a YouTube video and not about gun running to feed the beast in Syria?

Or does your conscience & morality play only apply to your abhorrence for Donald Trump?

I have not seen a comment by al-Amiri yet in English language open source.

But the new Director of the Iraqi elite Counter-Terrorism Force is POed. This is the guy that has been working closely with the US coalition to liberate Mosul and other areas that were controlled by Daesh. He is quoted as saying:

"How can we work with US forces in Iraq now if this is what US thinks of us? I have been killing terrorists for 14 years and now they think I am one? I cannot visit my family in the US."

Your far-distant dream will happen under various scenarios, including under multilateral trade agreements. I agree that those deals should be better on labor & environmental issues.

But until your utopia comes, the wealthiest people in the U.S. own the underground minerals & agribusinesses, and they've been getting control of the water and forest resources. (Trump & the current Republican Congress is planning to sell them even more of your natural patrimony.)

If the U.S. shuts itself out of trade deals and offers a smaller ROI than global trade does, then those natural resources are going to be plundered for profit by those investors, on their way out of the country. Meanwhile, you are still going to be sued --sued up the wazoo-- for lost profits, or, to put it in other terms, they are going to increase the cost of medical insurance, privatize Medicare and Social Security and put you in mortgage and consumer debt. (These are being lined-up, as we write.) All, for no reason than to feed the Wall Street beast. This will happen LONG before everybody realizes that money is not wealth.

So, you have to start controlling the movement of financial capital into and out of the country, but you don't have that power. Because you don't control the Congress, the rich people do. You don't even control Trump, it looks like his billionaire lobbyist Cabinet (& a couple of dangerous "war of civilizations" crackpots) own him.